Why do phones get blocked after buying a local SIM card in Egypt (and is eSIM safer)?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 21 days ago
TL;DR
Tourists who buy physical SIM cards in Egypt sometimes get their phone blocked even after leaving the country, with demands for a fine around $400; using an eSIM instead avoids this risk entirely.
What the community said
On a repeat visit to Egypt, tourists can't reactivate a previously purchased local SIM on the same phone — only if they switch devices. This is one source of confusion around phone blocks.
24 days ago
Avoid buying a physical SIM card in Egypt — use an eSIM instead. It's cheaper, simpler, avoids data-fraud tricks common at the airport, and eliminates the risk of your phone getting blocked later.
23 days ago eSIM instead of physical SIM
There have been cases where a tourist's phone/number got blocked even after they had already left Egypt, with a demand of around $400 to unblock it — the exact mechanism behind such blocks isn't always clear.
26 days ago ~$400 fine